Private Investigator Hired In County Mold Case

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Private Investigator Hired In County Mold Case

Photos Show Mold In Basement Of Independence Office

KMBC - Kansas City,MO

http://www.thekansascitychannel.com/news/11235964/detail.html

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Truman Medical Center has hired a private

investigator to try to find out who leaked photographs to KMBC.

In January, KMBC's Micheal Mahoney reported on problems with mold

inside the County Health Department in Independence.

Pictures given to KMBC showed numerous splotches of mold on the

walls in a records room.

Officials admitted they had an issue and needed to fix it.

Mahoney reported that since then, the county health department,

which is part of Truman Medical Center, has been determined to find

out who leaked the story.

Former county health employee Elaine LaFoe said a private

investigator paid a visit to her last week and tried to threaten her.

" He was trying to frighten me and intimidate me into telling him who

took pictures of the moldy room and gave those pictures to the

media, " LaFoe said. " And he said, 'Then you'll be held in contempt

and you'll be jailed.' "

She said she told the investigator that she wasn't the whistleblower.

" I'm still not going to tell who took the pictures, because I gave

this person my word, " LaFoe said.

She said the investigator also warned her that he'd seize the hard

drive of her computer. The next day, he went to visit the homes of

her children, she said.

" I think that's harassment, and I don't think that's right -- (my

children) had nothing to do with the health department or the news

report, " LaFoe said.

" When's the last time he called? " Mahoney asked.

" This morning, " LaFoe said.

In a recorded phone message, the investigator said, " You told me

you'd call me today. I wanted to know what you decided and I haven't

heard back from you yet. "

Private investigator Bruce Moreland of Corporate Risk Solutions told

Mahoney to contact the Truman Medical Center for information about

his work.

Truman Medical Center runs the County Health Department.

They received about $15 million from county taxes for their services

this year.

A Truman representative said the hospital is concerned whether any

of its privacy rules were violated with the pictures. The

representative confirmed that there is an investigation in the case.

" Truman would do well to try and fix the problem of the mold in that

basement instead of going after and trying to prosecute someone who

took pictures, " LaFoe said.

The head of the County Health Department did not comment to

KMBC about the case.

Previous Stories:

January 9, 2007: Illness Of County Health Workers Probed